A Russian-American YouTube star is facing up to 24 years in a Filipino prison for his latest prank on a security guard but this isn’t the first time he’s sparked controversy.
The content creator named Vitaly Zdorovetskiy often pushes his online pranks over the line of entertainment into controversial territory.
This has led to multiple arrests over the years and the YouTuber recently got himself into hot water in the Philippines where he was taken into custody last month.
Vitaly Zdorovetskiy controversies
The first scandal took place in July 2014 when Zdorovetskiy invaded the pitch during the World Cup final between Germany and Argentina in Brazil.
Two years later, in May 2016, the YouTuber was arrested for trespass after he climbed the Hollywood Sign in a stunt for his channel.
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Just one month on in June 2016, Zdorovetskiy was taken into custody again when he streaked during a NBA final.
Then, in October 2017, the content creator ran onto the field of a baseball game during the 2017 World Series, which he was also arrested for.
And if that wasn’t a long enough rap sheet, the YouTuber went international after he was arrested in Egypt, and spent five days locked up in an Egyptian jail after he climbed the Pyramids of Giza in January 2020.
In April 2020, Zdorovetskiy was arrested again and later charged with aggravated battery by Miami Beach police after the YouTuber allegedly tackled a female jogger and struck her multiple times in the head and chest, leaving her with a 2-inch cut above her right eye that required stitches.
The controversial YouTuber is now facing up to 24 years in a Filipino prison
Now, five years on, Zdorovetskiy is facing up to 24 years behind bars after he took to filming Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
He was arrested in the city and an order declared him as an ‘undesirable’ foreign national.
Since his arrest, Zdorovetskiy has been hit with multiple charges including unjust vexation, attempted theft, alarm, and scandal as he is accused of harassing Filipino citizens on the street for the sake of content.
In a statement, the Philippines’ Interior Secretary, Jonvic Remulla, said: “Zdorovetskiy will undergo a tactical interrogation so that we can get the identity of his cameramen.
“The cameraman, whom I think is Filipino, will also face charges because he is involved in the commission of a crime. We are still searching for the cameraman.”